Pumping unit



Jan. 30, 1951 A. R. MAIER 2,539,585

PUMPING UNIT Filed May 13, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR August R. Ma/er HIS ATTORNEY Jan. 30, 1951 A. R. MAlER 2,539,585

PUMPING UNIT Filed May 13, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR August R NQ/el' HIS ATTORNEY PM 1.... so, 1951 PULIPIN G UNIT August B. Maier, Oil City, Pm, asslgnor to Oil Well Supply Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application May 13, 1947, Serial No. 747,8i17

6 Claims.

This invention relate to a pumping unit and more particularly to one which is adapted to the pumping of oil.

After an oil well has been drilled it is sometimes necessary to pump the oil from the well. For this purpose a pump is located in the oil-bearing sand near the bottom of the well and is operated from the surface by means of rods connected endto-end and known as sucker rods, the oil being delivered through tubing through which the sucker rods extend. A so-called pumping unit" is used to impart reciprocating motion to the string of sucker rods and due to the weight of the rods the pumping unit is subjected to considerable strain in operation and therefore must be strongly constructed. Moreover, since these units are frequently moved, they must be readily portable and accordingly the weight thereof is an important factor in their design.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a highly improved pumping unit of the class described.

Another object is the provision of a pumping unit which is efllcient and durable in service and one which is at the same time relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture, operate and maintain.

Still another object is to simplify the design of a pumping unit of the class described by using a minimum number of parts and keeping the weight of the unit as a whole at a minimum.

. The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the pumping unit of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view on the line II- -II of Figure 1, and illustrating the gear box with the gears in phantom; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line lIlI--lI[, and illustrating the various elements of the gear box, together with the bearing housings for the crankshaft which drive the pumping unit.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I designates horizontal U-shaped channel, base or frame members forming a skidway which have superposed thereon a Samson post 2. Atop this Samson post 2, there is mounted a bearing 3 which carries a walking beam 4. To the left-hand side of the walking beam 4 (as viewed in Figure 1) there is attached a bifurcated pitman 6 which is, in turn, connected at its lower (and bifurcated) end to a pair of cranks 8, the

dimensional discrepancies.

latter being connected to and carried by a crankshaft 8.

Heretofore, the gear box for transmitting motion to the crankshaft 9 has been a separate unit cast or otherwise formed which is bolted to the channels i. In a twin crank unit of the type shown on the accompanying drawing, there is an upward force imposed on the crankshaft of the gear box which is not always equalized between the two crankshaft extensions due to deflection of the structure of the pumping unit and This requires an extremely rugged construction at the bearing supports of the crankshaft so that deflection will be held to a minimum. Such a construction is provided by the present invention, together with a reduction in the number of parts and total weight of the unit.

In accordance with the teachings of my invention, the gear box I0 is of welded construction and is formed integral with the channels I. These channels form a part of the gear box and are disposed with their webs in spaced back-to-back relationship, so that the upper and lower flanges thereof extend outwardly. Upwardly extending side plate members I I, which are mounted on top of and extend inwardly of the channels i' are welded thereto so that these plates form the upper part of the gear box and a portion of the web of the channel forms the lower part. A curved or bent plate I! which defines the ends and bottom of the gear box extends between the plates II and channels I and is welded thereto to form an oil-tight enclosure and provide cross reenforcement for the side plates and channels.

Bearing housings for the crankshaft 9, consistting of a pair of cast or forged substantially annular steel members l3, are fitted into the side walls ll of the gear housing I0 and are welded thereto. Each of these cast or forged housing members l3 has on the lower side of its inner face an oil pocket It which communicates with a drain passage IS, the latter extending outwardly to the exterior. A plug it is provided. for the outer end of each of the drain passages It.

A vertically disposed U-shaped channel It, the web of which may taper inwardly from the bottom towards the top is arranged under each of the housings l3 and disposed on the lower flange of the channels to provide reenforcement for the bearing housings. These reenforcing channels I! are interfltted with the channels I by notching the flanges of either or both and are welded to the housings I3, the side plates l I and the chan hole I. This provides a Wan a be: section can be kept as close togetheras possible.

cured by staggering the centers so that the shafts In most conventional gear boxes, the shafts are located on the same level, making it necessary to increase the overall length of the gear box.

While I have shown anddescribed one specific 4 welded to said side plates, and a plate forming bottom and end walls welded to the vertical faces of said frame members below said side plates and curving upwardly and being welded to said side plates, said frame members thus forming a, portion of the side walls of the gear box.

4. In a pumping unit for oil wells and the like, a pair of spaced apart supporting frame members having flat vertical faces directed toward embodiment of my invention, it will be undercarried by said channels, said gear box comprising a pair of vertically disposed side plates welded to said upper flanges, a plate member disposed between said side plates and extending downwardly between the webs of said channels, said plate member being welded to said side plates and said webs to form a gear box in conjunction therewith, crankshaft bearing housings in said side plates and vertically disposed reenforcing channels below said bearing housings, said reenforcing channels being welded to said side plates, said bearing housings and said channels to reenforce said gear box and support said bearing housings.

2. A pumping'unit for oil wells and the like comprising a pair of parallel channels disposed with the webs thereof in spaced back-to-back relationship and having upper and lower outwardly extending flanges, a gearbox carried by said channels, said gear box comprising a pair of vertically disposed side plates welded on top of said upper flanges, a plate member disposed between said side plates and extending downwardly between the webs of said channels, said plate member being welded to said side plates and said webs to form a gear box in conjunction therewith, crankshaft bearing housings in said side plates and a U-shaped vertically disposed reenforcing member having inwardly disposed flanges and an outwardly facing web under each of said bearing housings, said reeni'orcing members being disposed on the lower flanges of said channels and extending upwardly to said housings, the flanges of said reenforcing members and said upper flanges of said channels being interfltted' to permit the flanges of said reenforcing members to abut the webs of said channels, said reenforcing members being welded to said bearing housings, said side plates and said channels to reen- 'force said gear box and rigidly support said bearing housings.

3. In a. pumping unit for oil wells and the like, a pair of spaced apart supporting frame members having vertical faces directed toward each other, a gear box comprising a pair of side plates welded to said frame members and extending thereabove, axially aligned crankshaft bearings each other, a gear box comprising a pair of side plates welded to the upper edges of said supporting members and extending thereabove, axially aligned crankshaft bearings welded to said side plates, and a plate welded to the flat vertical faces of said frame'members below said side plates to form a bottom wall and curving upwardly and being welded to saidside plates to form end walls, said frame members thus forming side walls for the gear box in the region between the lower edges of said side plates and said bottom wall.

5. A pumping unit for oil wells and the like comprising a pair of parallel channels disposed with the webs thereof in spaced back-to-back relationship and having outwardly extending flanges on the upper sides thereof,'a gear box carried by said channels, said gear box comprising a pair of vertically disposed side plates welded to said upper flanges, a plate member disposed between said side plates and extending downwardly between the webs of said channels, said plate member being welded to said side plates and said webs to form a gear box in' conjunction therewith, and crankshaft bearing housings in said side plates.

6. A pumping unit for oil wells and the like comprising a pairof parallel channels disposed with the webs thereof in spaced back-to-back relationship and having outwardly extending flanges on the upper sides thereof, a gear box carried by said channels, said gear box comprising a pair of vertically disposed side plates weld- 'ed to said upper flanges, a plate member dis- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date j 889,683 Heddrich June 2, 1908 2,310,393 Carter Feb. 9, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 39,934 Austria Dec. 10, 1909 480,388 Great Britain Feb. 22, 1938 

